{"id":628358,"date":"2026-06-09T00:14:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T00:14:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/628358\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T00:14:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T00:14:19","slug":"fears-of-artificial-intelligence-psychology-today-united-kingdom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/628358\/","title":{"rendered":"Fears of Artificial Intelligence | Psychology Today United Kingdom"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Scarecrow in “The Wizard of Oz” was on to something in the introspective 1939 song by composer Harold Arlen and lyricist E.Y. Harbug\u2019s: \u201cIf I Only Had a Brain.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI could while away the hours,
Conferrin’ with the flowers,
Consultin’ with the rain.
And my head I’d be scratchin’ while my thoughts were busy hatchin’
If I only had a brain.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lyrics today have some, like me, in the throes of Alzheimer\u2019s and other dementias, dreading a future with the onslaught of artificial intelligence<\/a>, a.k.a., \u201cAI\u201d\u2014two letters that instill fear<\/a> and anxiety<\/a> in many. In our serpentine journey, many of us tend to want to grasp what is real, not artificial. Even when I cannot think or reason, I don\u2019t want a computer telling me how to do so. I\u2019d prefer to go silently into the night\u2026<\/p>\n

AI and the Fear of the Unknown<\/p>\n

AI can be described as sophisticated computer systems able to execute tasks that have normally required human intellect. In other words, to some extent, they can supersede human intelligence<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While AI may offer beams of hope, the downside for those like me is fraught with danger without the proper safeguards. Fear of the unknown is the lowest common denominator for many with Alzheimer\u2019s and other dementias. <\/p>\n

As the Baby Boomer iconic commercial echoed in the 1970s: \u201cIt\u2019s not nice to fool Mother Nature!\u201d<\/p>\n

No, it isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Public Debate About AI Ethics<\/p>\n

Despite all the hype today, the concept of artificial intelligence is not new. Its genesis was in 1950, when English mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing, considered the father of AI, published a research paper proposing the \u201cTuring Test,\u201d<\/a> an analysis to gauge a machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent behavior analogous to that of a human. In 1955, American computer scientist John McCarthy coined the term \u201cartificial intelligence,\u201d and a year later, organized the Dartmouth Conference to set in motion an academic field study of \u201cAI.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many\u2014pro, con, and concerned\u2014have weighed in on the use and promise of AI. Everyone seems to be engaged in talking about it.<\/p>\n

Of late, Pope Leo XIV, in a milestone encyclical Magnifica Humanitas<\/a>, issued sweeping forewarnings against treating AI as \u201cmorally neutral\u201d or permitting it to replace human intelligence, or even making military decisions about war or what weapons to launch. While Pope Leo said AI must be “disarmed,” he explicitly instructed Catholic priests to stop using AI to write sermons.<\/p>\n

\u201cCalling for prudence, rigorous evaluation and even, at times, a slower pace in adopting AI does not mean opposing progress,\u201d Leo wrote. \u201cInstead, it is an exercise of responsible care for the human family \u2026 Technology should not be considered, in itself, as a force antagonistic to humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Closer to home, Pastor Doug Scalise at Brewster Baptist Church on Outer Cape Cod, an American Baptist interdenominational church, preached on his concerns about AI<\/a>. In harmony with Pope Leo\u2019s encyclical, Scalise, a close counselor to me in my Alzheimer\u2019s, said: <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does it mean to remain fully human in an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence? As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms work, relationships, creativity<\/a>, education<\/a>, the use of natural resources and energy, and daily life, it raises questions about dignity, purpose, wisdom<\/a>, connection, and the future of human flourishing. We need to be able to discern both the opportunities and the threats posed by this technology, which will impact us\u2014and future generations\u2014in more ways than we can imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scalise stressed<\/a> that it\u2019s critical to develop the ability to distinguish good from evil. \u201cThe ability to distinguish good from evil is essential because every decision we make is shaped by what we believe to be good, true, and worthy of praise, or what we believe to be evil, false, or deserving of condemnation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Distinguishing good from evil in today\u2019s fractured society can be daunting. <\/p>\n

Brain Implants and Robot Warriors<\/p>\n

Experts say brain implants\u2014a close relative of AI\u2014are critically needed today to treat neurological and psychiatric<\/a> conditions, and restore lost motor and sensory functions. <\/p>\n

By utilizing electrodes to stimulate targeted areas, these devices bridge gaps between the brain, body, and external technology. That\u2019s the good.<\/p>\n

Personal Perspectives Essential Reads<\/p>\n

The bad is: Where does this technology go in the future?<\/a> Brain implants that make us all Einsteins? On the surface, that might sound good. But the likelihood in the future of such brain-computer chips controlling the way we think\u2014and the way we act\u2014is as likely as July following June. <\/p>\n

And there is great concern today about \u201cbrainhacking.\u201d Notes a study in Ethics and Information Technology<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhilst brainjacking raises ethical concerns pertaining to privacy and physical or psychological harm, we claim that the possibility of brainjacking raises particularly profound concerns about individual autonomy, since the possibility of hacking such devices raises the prospect of third parties exerting influence over the neural<\/a> circuits underpinning the subject\u2019s cognitive, emotional and motivational states.\u201d<\/p>\n

And as a spinoff of all this, there\u2019s now worldwide research on the creation of robot warriors. Killer robots are under development in several countries, including the United States, China, Iran, Israel, and South Korea. Critics fear their use by evil regimes and terrorists. Writes Liz Mineo in The Harvard Gazette<\/a>: <\/p>\n

\u201cLong the stuff of science fiction, autonomous weapons systems, known as \u201ckiller robots,\u201d are poised to become a reality, thanks to the rapid development of artificial intelligence. In response, international organizations have been intensifying calls for limits or even outright bans on their use. The U.N. General Assembly in November adopted the first-ever resolution on these weapons systems, which can select and attack targets without human intervention.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, as I watch the sun set tonight on bucolic Cape Cod Bay, with its brilliant and soothing soft yellows, deep purples and blazing reds, I\u2019m tranquil, knowing I was born in 1950\u2014in another era\u2014and feeling out of place today. At 76, the clock is ticking for me.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m fully at peace with that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Scarecrow in “The Wizard of Oz” was on to something in the introspective 1939 song by composer…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":628359,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[59,57,58,50,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-628358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-kingdom","tag-gb","tag-great-britain","tag-greatbritain","tag-news","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628358","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=628358"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628358\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/628359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=628358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=628358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=628358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}